FINAL-Historic City of Yazd

Historic City of Yazd World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

by Mohammad Hassan Talebian, Deputy for Cultural Heritage Iranian Cultural Heritage Handicraft and Tourism Organization

Edited by Siavash Laghai International Institute on Territorial and Environmental Dynamics Photo credit: Yazd from above © ICHHTO Index

Introduction 1 The Historic Urban Landscape of Yazd 1 The effectiveness of natural geography on the formation of desert cities on the Iranian plateau 4 Adaption processes of the ways of living and management of the limited resources 5 Multi-cultural identity 7 Forming concepts: tangible and intangible elements 7 Socio-Cultural Life of the Historic City of Yazd 8 Coexistence of Religions 9 Waqf: the way for Immortalization 11 Historic City of Yazd Management Plan 13 Challenges 15 Conclusion 17 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Introducon

Yazd is one of the largest earthen cities in Iran and is mostly known to be the driest major city of the country. Situated in the centre of the Iranian plateau, the city is situated at an altitude of 1200m above sea level, with summer temperatures frequently exceeding 40°C. Its proximity to the vast Iranian dry salt desert “Kavir-e Namak”, its harsh terrain and the dry climate of its surrounding, low precipitation combined with intense evaporation as well as huge daily temperature oscillations, led its inhabitants to a frugal and nature-friendly lifestyle. Relying on their ingenuity, the generations who inhabited this area have adapted their lifestyle to the desert, managing the functional water system “Qanât”1 to gather water from mountains, transfer it through underground tunnels and bring it to the surface. In 2017 the Historic City of Yazd is recognized as a Historic Urban Landscape in the UNESCO World Heritage List.2 The built environment of Yazd is an outstanding example of adaptation to a harsh climate, with its wind-catchers “Bâdgir”, its water cisterns “Âbanbar”, its mud-brick houses with halls “Tâlâr”, balconies “Eyvân and Soffes”, as well as its domes and cool breezing alleys and arched corridors and alleys “Sabât”.

The Historic Urban Landscape of Yazd

All of these characteristics have allowed Yazd to become a perfect context for forming and promoting a special cultural and urban structure during several centuries. Architectural innovations made in Yazd are noteworthy for the blending of Persian culture elements over many centuries. Today, the Historic Urban Landscape of Yazd is surrounded by an industrial city, whose inhabitants express their expectations regarding development and modernization. Yazd’s Historic Urban Landscape integrity and outstanding values need to be protected, seeking a balance between the population’s expectations and the protection of its universal value. It is clear that to manage a vibrant historic city with this vast desert area, there exist many challenges to face, such as drought, industrialization, abandon and disneyﬁcation3 of the historic city centre.

With this aim, in addition to past and present efforts made by the population itself, accompanied by various stakeholders such as the local government together with the Iranian Cultural Heritage Handicraft and Tourism (ICHHTO), representatives of

1 Underground water supply system

2 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1544

3 The act of making a place similar to a theme park.

1 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Health and Education ministries and the Waqf Organization4, have planned a ten year management plan. This plan foresees that the living conditions in the historic city will be improved, and poverty situations will be eradicated. This plan also includes a sustainable tourism management programme based on the cultural values of Yazd, with the goal of fostering economic development and social cohesion. The management plan approach is in line with the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape.5 This management plan aims to provide the basis for the integration of historic city conservation within a sustainable development framework. And focuses more on the participatory and collective consensus through the implementation of a range of traditional knowledge and innovative instruments adapted to the local city context.

Bâdgir (wind-catcher) a major element of Yazd architecture Photo credit: Mohammad Hosseini

This valuable city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the ﬁrst Iranian historic city on July 2017, adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session (Krakow, Poland). The core zone of the World Heritage Site of the historic city of Yazd has an area of 195 hectares, which includes all the historical neighbourhoods: Zoroastrian6 neighbourhood, Dolat-Abad Garden7 and the central core of the historic city such as the Al-Mozafar, the Timurid, the Safavid and the old

4 The Organization for Endowment and Charity. Waqf literally means to stop, or to preserve. A Waqf is a permanent and irrevocable dedication of ones wealth. Once a gifted, it never inherited or sold.

5 The HUL Recommendation is an additional tool to integrate policies and practices of conservation of the built environment into the wider goals of urban development in respect of the inherited values and traditions of different cultural contexts. http://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/638/

6 The oldest known monotheistic religion

6 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1372

2 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Mosque, the Bazaar, and the Zand areas, and the Pir district and its Tower. The buffer zone of the World Heritage Site has an area of 650 hectares, which includes the Qajar city, parts of the ﬁrst Pahlavi urban development areas and some adjacent areas of its inﬂuence. The Historic City of Yazd encloses two other World Heritage Sites: The Persian Garden8 and the Persian Qanât.9 The Persian Qanât World Heritage Sites has two of its eleven world’s longest Qanâts in Yazd, Zarcheh and Hassan Abad-e Moshir, with a length more than 80 kilometres and a millenary history. The Persian Garden World Heritage Site has one of its nine gardens in Yazd, Dolat-Abad Garden, which was built around 1750 and has a 33 meters standing wind-catcher Bâdgir.

Qanâts Dolat-Abad Garden Nominated property Buffer Zone

The nominated property © ICHHTO

8 “The Persian Garden” World Heritage Site property includes nine gardens in different provinces, inscribed at the World Heritage List in 2011.

9 The eleven Qanâts representing this system were inscribed at the World Heritage List as “The Persian Qanât" in 2016.

3 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

The eﬀecveness of natural geography on the formaon of desert cies on the Iranian plateau

Various factors can affect the process of urban formation. These factors play a vital role in the setting, founding and growing of cities, are largely environmental- geographical, political-military, economic, socio-cultural and industrial. The degree of inﬂuence of each factor differs in various locations and times. As an example, in the distant past, environmental and defensive factors played a stronger role in the setting of cities. In accordance with the effect of environmental factors on the desert cities of the Iranian plateau, these were either built in a strategic region or served as a base for housing the new bureaucratic system. In other cases, they were set in places where biological and living requirements could be met in accordance with the location’s circumstances.

Because of their low altitude and their distance from the effects of humid winds, these cities were always under the inﬂuence of the large difference of temperature between days and nights and between summers and winters. Additionally, the resources of water and fertile soil were very poor due to the abundance of salt, gypsum and lime layers. Therefore, one of the most vital needs of the people inhabiting these areas has always been water supply. These conditions have resulted in speciﬁc circumstances of human life in cities of the Iranian plateau. Hence, throughout this arid region of Iran, agricultural and permanent settlement were supported by the ancient Qanât system of tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometres.10 Using this water, the dry soil and other organic materials, they population constructed mud-brick buildings which have gradually led to the creation of large earthen architecture cities in Iran.

Presently, Yazd is a an outstanding example of an intricate architectural and urban planning tradition developed throughout the second millennium (10th-20th centuries) in the desert zone of central Iran. The Yazdi builders have developed highly elaborated knowledge in the city building process, covering all relevant aspects - from material selection and preparation to housing design and city planning. The founding and development of commercial cities based on the Qanât system on the deserts of Iran, is labelled as “Qanât Civilization”. In fact, with its largest networks of Qanâts, the Yazdi Qanât practitioners are considered as the most skilled in Iran.

10 https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1506/

4 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Adapon processes of the ways of living and management of the limited resources

Yazd is an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, representing the interaction between man and nature in a desert environment, resulting in the optimal use and clever management of the limited resources available in such an arid setting. Yazd is also considered a good source of inspiration for facing today’s climate change challenge, due to its outstanding traditional settlement, which has been labelled globally as “bioclimatic construction”. The exclusive settlement typology of Yazd is a result of the optimal use and intelligent management of the limited resources that are available in such an extremely arid environment.

The historic city has been built with the least possible disruption of the environment, as well as minimizing energy consumption. Water was brought from the mountains through Qanâts, which limit evaporation. It was subsequently mixed with earth dug from the underground rooms of the houses, in order to prepare mortar and transformed into cob Chineh or mud bricks adobe to build walls and vaulted roofs, and was also used in the protective plaster called Kah-Gel. These structures are quite thick to resist earthquakes. Furthermore, in combination with a system of deep courtyards and wind catchers, this pattern also solves the question of the houses’ climate control. This pattern, in combination with a system of courtyards and wind catchers Bâdgir also solves the question of climate control of houses in these extremely arid climatic conditions. The city was surrounded by a wall which was gradually enlarged with the addition of new districts. Each district was (and still is) independent and organized along a Qanât with all its components, so as to make use of water for living as well as for construction purposes. All these elements represent the most important expressions of the ingenious techniques that create adapted conditions for living in such a harsh environment. They constitute a good source of inspiration for facing global warming and sustainable development challenges.

5 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Center of Kooshk-e-No district and its main tangible and intangible elements

6 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Mul-cultural identy

Yazd urban area hosts a combination of buildings with different functions, including water cisterns Âbanbar, mosques, hammams11, Qanâts, ﬁre temples12, synagogues, mausoleums, madrasas, bazaars, which are associated with the continuity of traditions that cover Yazd’s social organization. Within the historic city, multicultural and craftsmanship traditions are developed which reﬂects diverse cultures related to Islam, Judaism and Zoroastrianism religions. With the presence of these religions, Yazd cultural values can be considered a model and an outstanding example for a peaceful coexistence of religions.

Due to this multi-cultural identity and its location on the Silk Road and the caravan routes linking India with Europe, Yazd became an important commercial centre, facilitating the transfer of knowledge along these routes. The ingenious management of the urban fabric is resulted in the strong persistence of its socio-cultural diversity. The local population of Yazd and its decision-makers have managed to maintain populated large zones of the historic city, which still illustrate its traditions.

Yazd is also recognized for its intangible cultural heritage. In addition to those linked to crafts and cuisine, religious festivals have a particular signiﬁcance in Yazd. The city has been known for its silk cloths and other textiles production. It is also one of the most important Zoroastrian centres, whose main ﬁre temple is still an important pilgrimage destination for Zoroastrians.

Forming concepts: tangible and intangible elements

Yazd citizens have the same sympathy for their districts as for their homes. Their informal solidarity network is accompanied by the formation of spontaneous cultural and social structures solving a range of issues in their neighbourhood. This transforms the district into an integrated system containing tangible and intangible aspects, which give form and give meaning to the neighbourhood due to the existence of mutual relations and continuous interaction.

Each tangible element of a district has been set up over the course of time and in response to part of the daily or weekly needs of neighbourhood residents. As a matter of fact, constant usage of such elements and spaces by local residents for satisfying their daily needs serves as a guarantee for the district's relation with its tangible aspects. Each district has a dual function: on the one hand as a functional

11 Persian public baths

12 A ﬁre temple for Zoroastrians is a place of worship

7 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges unit and on the other hand as a social unit that ﬁnds its essential meaning in its intangible aspects and in maintaining appropriate living conditions. For this reason, districts are separable more in the minds of their residents and less in a direct and tangible manner or through administrative lines.

Tangible and intangible conceptual framework

This factor makes it difficult to identify an absolute and definite border between some neighbourhoods, although occasionally the presence of a main pathway or an element such as a Bazaar have been taken as a definite border between two neighbourhoods. As a result, the role of intangible aspects is an important aspect in the formation of borders among the districts of a historic city.

Socio-Cultural Life of the Historic City of Yazd

In general, social life adopts a distinctive form following climatic, economic and social characteristics, as well as the speciﬁc identity of a determined territory. In fact, culture, beliefs, traditions, dress code and food of a place can be regarded as a manifestation of its social life. In Yazd, distinct characteristics of social life can be observed in the social system of districts, behavioural aspects, compatibility with the climate and relation among religions. Public presence in the historic city is stimulated by its old and new functions.

For example, the central Shah Ab-ol-qasem Hosseinieh13, Vaqt-o a-sa'at Square, and the faculty of Art and Architecture have transformed parts of the city centre into a space for leisure, exchanging information and goods. As an urban space on a neighbourhood scale, the district centre serves as a ground for social interactions, playing a major role in the public life, mental images, communal memory and common identity of residents. Over time, district centres acted as venues for

13 A Hosseinieh is a congregation hall for Shia’s Muharram commemoration ceremonies.

8 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges gathering residents with various ages, economic statuses, and served as informal hangouts, particularly during non-working periods.

An urban district centre is a space for positioning and gathering of services and equipment required by local residents Photo credit: Historic City of Yazd archive

Coexistence of Religions

Yazd is a city that has always served as a shelter and house for Muslims, Zoroastrians and Jews. Under the Safavid rule, Zoroastrians were given a high status, which implied they had the right to special aldermen and that their district was the largest in the city.

The vast and durable distribution of Zoroastrians in Yazd shows that their relation with Muslims and Jews has been quite amicable. As a matter of fact Zoroastrians used to live and still live in a wide range of districts including: Khalf-e-khan Ali, Khorram-shah, Na'im-abad, Aharestan, Koocheh Boyuk, Nersi-abad, Tal district, Eysh-abad, Kheir- abad, Moobedan and Kasnavieh. Yazd Jews also mostly reside in their own district, located west and southwest of the Jamé mosque and interact with other citizens through business ties. Such a peaceful coexistence of faiths, as well as the mutual respect for each other’s customs, is among other aspects facilitating the widespread presence of various ethnic groups in Yazd. Such coexistence is exempliﬁed by the existence of synagogues and mosques within distances of less

9 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges than 200 metres, the participation of Zoroastrians in Islamic ceremonies and the construction of double-purpose water cisterns by Zoroastrians or Muslims, which permit the joint use of such a vital element.

Coexistence of Religions – from left to right: Jews, Zoroastrians, Muslims

Photo credit: Historic City of Yazd archive

Although originally rooted in ancient beliefs of Zoroastrians who celebrate it magniﬁcently14, at present Nowrooz is considered as a joint custom of Muslims, Zoroastrians and Jews. Among other Zoroastrian rites, are their monthly twelve feasts. Since they have selected a name for each day of the year’s months, whenever the names of days and months coincide, they celebrate the date.

Celebrations of Zoroastrians Sade-Zoroastrians Dakhmeh

Photo credit: Historic City of Yazd archive

14 On the New Year’s Eve, Zoroastrians from Taft throw white ﬂowers outside their house door as a sign of welcoming guests, while in Central Asian countries people whiten tree trunks in the days preceding Nowrooz. Also in the majority of Zoroastrian houses of Yazd, a batch of greenery (hyacinth, cypress and myrtle branches) are hung from doorways, and Russian olives and wild marjoram are thrown at the door heels as a welcoming symbol.

10 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Waqf: the way for Immortalizaon

The literal meaning of Waqf is to stop, endure and to hold something. But speciﬁcally it means to keep the property itself and to spend its proceedings according to the wishes of the donor. In Dar-ol-Ebadeh15 of Yazd, there exist a large number of endowed properties in various forms that are considered exceptional worldwide.16 Also new properties are endowed for charitable purposes, such as the construction of sport arenas, madrases, Hosseiniehs and medical clinics. As a matter of fact, due to the abundance of mosques, madrases, holy shrines, mausoleums and public facilities like water cisterns, as well as the presence of faithful people, philanthropists and charitable people, there is a large number of intact Waqf’s properties still available. Following the development of desert lands by some Yazd residents, the latter were endowed so as to let them be used by other people. Yazd citizens thought that endowing not only made their names eternal but also implied divine rewards. In fact this was also an incentive for the construction of monuments and buildings for public use and for the reviving of farmlands.17

Waqf-nameh (endowment deeds) Photo credit: Historic City of Yazd archive

15 The fact that Yazd is called Dar-ol-ebadeh (a place of worship) since the 8th century AD, reveals its religious signiﬁcance and reputation during the Islamic era, as in the pre-Islamic age. In fact the long-lasting custom of Waqf has always had a huge potential and prestige in that area. A glimpse at the contents of local history books, inscription texts and existing Waqf deeds indicates that the laudable tradition of Waqf enjoys special status among Yazd citizens, including its Zoroastrian minority.

16 Under the rule of the Safavid dynasty (1501–1736), Waqf became more widespread and more organized, thus for the ﬁrst time a ministry was founded to systematize it. Benevolent individuals of Yazd have always been pioneers in matters such as setting up a water fountain and construction or foundation of hospitals, madrases and orphanages.

17 Among Waqf deeds belonging to the late Ilkhanate era (1256–1335) is Jame-ol-kheirat in which Seyed-Rokn-o-din and his son Seyed Shams-o-din have endowed part of their belongings. Only a Waqf deed called Rab-e-Rashidi is more noteworthy.

11 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Due to the fact that water is vital in Yazd, the majority of Waqfs are related to Qanâts and hydraulic opportunities such as: water and ice cisterns “yakhdan”, fountains, water-wells and ponds. In fact, most of the Waqf deeds contributed to the stabilization and maintenance of buildings. Therefore Waqf can be regarded as one of the most important factors contributing to the preservation and duration of the historic city, particularly its outstanding public buildings.

The ownership chart of Historic City of Yazd

WAQF ICHHTO PRIVATE PUBLIC GOVERNMENTAL

PUBLIC 2% GOVERNMENTAL 1%

WAQF PRIVATE 8% 88%

ICHHTO 2%

12 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Historic City of Yazd Management Plan

The main aim of the inscription of Yazd into the World Heritage List, in addition to protecting its prominent values as a vibrant and historic city, was the creation of a coherent area for the formation of a dialogue between people and urban authorities for the sustainable protection of the city. In order to maintain and protect the socio- cultural values of the city, participation and maintaining the local community identity are among the most signiﬁcative points in the new management plan. This maintenance of traditions of the urban area in the planning process with sustainable development approach has an important role to be considered as a model for other historical cities management plan.

Due to the complexity of urban issues such as; social cohesion, cultural diversity, health, education, local economy, security and mass tourism, sustainable planning and development, infrastructure, an integrated urban management plan model has been elaborated as an inclusive and effective plan that has long been considered but not yet implemented. The improvement of the quality of life in the management plan, as well as the protection of the criteria and values of the historical city, are among the main points of this integrated plan. To realize this model, short, medium and long-term actions are considered. These actions are also based on Yazd identity and its intangible and intangible assets.

The Historic City of Yazd World Heritage Site

The Strategic Council

Environment ?

The Historic City of Yazd World Heritage Site Strategic Council and its working groups

13 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

In order to implement the actions of the management plan, a strategic council for the World Heritage Site is established. This strategic council, called the Historic City of Yazd World Heritage Site, formed special working groups, headed by the Yazd municipality, the Yazd region and ICHHTO, and in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders such as the provincial governing bodies (Waqf, education and health ministries, water and sewage authority, telecommunications,..) and representatives of the local community, residents and NGOs. The Historic City of Yazd World Heritage Site plays as the coordinator of the actions and decisions made by these working groups.

Subsequently, after a survey of the governmental institutions in charge of the city historical context, a memorandum of understanding was signed. Therefore, a management plan model with previously separated operational plans was integrated in order to formulate the World Heritage Site management plan. Thus, different institutions have a distinct role in complementing each other's duties. More than 40 institutions and government agencies collaborate in this framework. The implementation of this plan has been one of the most elaborated and effective measures in the management of a historic city in Iran.

Citizenship trainings are considered by the Historic City of Yazd World Heritage Site as a tool for residents and the local community to learn about the methods and activities of the working groups. Manuals and guidelines to familiarize with the criteria and procedures in the historical context are also available to the public. The Historic City of Yazd World Heritage Site looks toward the citizens as the main guardians and historians of the historical context of Yazd, and focuses on the monitoring of the historical texture both in the real and virtual space.

Recognizing real needs and understanding the ways of facing and solving challenges in order to increase the resident’s quality life in the historical context is one of the main tasks of the strategic council.

These tasks could be understood through direct communication between the Historic City of Yazd World Heritage Site and the residents. Increasing the general motivation for participatory and community engagement in protecting historical cities is one of the main results of this plan.

14 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Challenges

Development pressure - The real estate development demand; existing development pressure derives mainly from residents and/or service providers. According to the existing rules, any construction activities by both public and private sectors, should be ofﬁcially approved by ICHHTO. According to its legal statute, ICHHTO controls all the plans and activities with two main methods. Firstly, according to national and regional rules, ICHHTO is a member of the decision - making committees, in this case the strategic councils, and can have an effective authorization on any plan within a historic property at any stage and level. Secondly, the Historic City of Yazd is under protection and safeguarding rules, which allow ICHHTO to monitor and survey its historic assets. Since the ICHHTO security guards and experts periodically monitor the city, in case of any anomaly or irregular activity, an immediate report will be sent to the juridical department of ICHHTO.

- Industrialization; Over the past decades, many heavy industries have been formed around Yazd, some of which contributed to environmental pollution, mostly regarding water. The Historic City of Yazd management plan recognizes this challenge and gives a special attention to this threat. The management plan provides participatory working groups with the presence of all stakeholders to foresee the environmental impact of these industries.

- Municipality laws and regulations for traditional building; The lack of regulation for restoration of traditional adobe or abandoned buildings is a complex subject. Due to the lack of recent engineering standards, the actual municipality laws and regulations force to rebuild and restore adobe houses, exclusively with adobe . Yet, there is a joint research programme between ICHHTO, the University of Yazd and the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Research Center to develop special rules and regulations for adobe buildings restoration.

- Detailed and comprehensive city plan; In the past, regardless of the originality and integrity of the historical context, comprehensive plans have been devised to design new streets and extend existing alley-ways, which eroded the historic city. With the recognition of the Historic City of Yazd as a World Heritage Site, a new comprehensive city plan is drafted based on a human-centered approach, in order to sustain the integrity of the world heritage site.

- Opportunities and threats of tourism; In spite of the fact that tourism is considered an important opportunity for the economy of the city, the Historic City of Yazd is persisting with its culture and traditions. It is foreseeable that with the

15 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

development of tourism, traditional employment will change to touristic businesses. In this regard, ICHHTO has provided support for historic city residents, especially women and artisans.

Environmental pressures - Drought; It causes the migration of farmers, gardeners and those whose income depends directly on water. Also some industries are closing down. However, some industries are planning to rehabilitate older Qanâts instead of using pipelines and water wells.

- Movement of the underground layers; These movements threat the continuity of the Qanât’s water ﬂow. Yet, these movements are limited and probably do not constitute any threat. During the last two years, especially after the inscription of the Persian Qanât World Heritage Site, the management and monitoring of the underground water in Yazd has became more and more rigorous. If this was not the case, this could be considered a serious threat.

16 Historic City of Yazd: World Heritage Site Importance, Values, Management and Challenges

Conclusion

The management plan of a city such as Yazd as a cultural identity centre in Iran, can serve as a model to protect and preserve cultural-historical values of other similar historic cities. Maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the Historic City of Yazd and commit it to the next generations, is one of the important goals of its integrated management plan.

Without doubt this could be among one of the pilot projects of the World Heritage Programme on Earthen Architecture (WHEAP), and would help as a best practice for the development, management and conservation of similar World Heritage Sites and historic cities. Clearly, the expected outcomes in the historic city of Yazd experience include the development of conservation policies, the creation of technical publications and practical guidelines, the organization of training activities and workshops to raise the awareness and knowledge of earthen architecture particularly with the local communities, as well as the creation of an international network for the exchange of experiences.18

It is clear that active management with the people's participation has a signiﬁcant role in improving the quality of life of the inhabitants. Therefore, the management plan of the Historical City of Yazd has been developed as a dynamic program, that would meet the needs of its population and would respect the natural and cultural resources of the city.

It is expected that this program and its activities will have an impact on the management and development of new surrounding urban areas that have been abnormally shaped and developed over the past decades.

In order to reach the goals of the Historic City of Yazd, it is necessary to take steps in this sense, focusing attention not only on the intangible and tangible cultural heritage, but on the quality of housing as well. This requires the full participation of the people and each individual who is responsible for this valuable asset and seeks to contribute to its protection. Yet, there are still many steps ahead in order to maintain and sustain the high values of a historic and vibrant city.

18 http://whc.unesco.org/en/earthen-architecture

17 The present document is distributed in pdf format for information purposes only